1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 c5 7.dxc5 - White surrenders the center in exchange for pressure against black's d-pawn. It might look like a bad move at first, but it's a typical strategy in the QGD. In my database, it's the most common move.

7... Bxc5 8.Qc2 - White's best shot at keeping the initiative. He delays castling for a while and prepares for Rd1

8... Nc6 Black's most challenging setup, preparing the e5 push and opening up the possibility of Nb4, attacking the queen.

9.a3 A solid move, depriving black's knight of the b4 square and creating the possibility of a b4 push by white.

9... Qa5 Renewing the Nb4 threat and making room for the rook on the d8 square. The pin on the knight might also prove to be nasty.

10.Rd1 The rook joins the play in an active position and threatens b4, forking bishop and queen. However, the counterintuitive 10. 0-0-0 might be a surprisingly safer option. White needs to start worrying about his king.

10... Be7 11.Rd2?

White underestimate black's strength and makes his first real mistake in the game. Both 10. Be2 and 10. Bd3 are stronger and safer options.

Originally posted by Heroic MetoolLet me give it a try. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.

1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 c5 [b]7.dxc5 - White surrenders the center in exchange for pressure against black's d-pawn. It might look like a bad move at first, but it's a typical strategy in the QGD. In my database, it's the most common move.

7... Bxc5 [b ...[text shortened]... knight fork.

22.axb4 Qa1+ 23.Ke2 gxf4 24.Bxf4 Be6 25.Be5 Qc1 26.Bc3 Bg5 0-1[/b]

Non-Sub Rec'd

Great Job!

I came across this great game in the book Russian Chess by Pandolfini (pages 46-74!).

It is a great demonstration of developing an initiative for a pawn sacrifice, and how to keep the threats going.

I ran the game through chessmaster - seems like 14. Qc2 was white's major "blunder" - the turning point of the game - it allows black to advance his e-pawn to e5 and then e4 - and then white played 16. Qxe4 which cleared out the e-pawn to allow black to play the devastating Bf5 that forced white's queen to abandon a crucial diagonal.

much better than Qxe4 would have been Ne5 (which would've been followed by Nxe5, fxe5, Rxe5) - limiting the damages.

if white plays 14. Be2, the game stays more or less even (assuming both sides playing "best moves" )